The Basics

[CASE, MOBO and PSU]    Shuttle SH67H3
[CPU] Intel i3-2120 3.3 GHz
[RAM] 8 GB RAM
[HDD] OCZ Technology 60 GB Solid State hard drive
           WD 2 TB 3.5" black hard drive
           WD 2 TB 3.5" green hard drive
[OS]    Microsoft Windows Home Server 2011

My Server Needs

I wanted a small, quiet and presentable case for my server which used recent computer technology. I also wanted a computer which could be repurposed later when upgrading. The Shuttle SH67H3 barebones filled the bill at $229.99. I was familar with these Shuttle barebones computers having in the past building desktop computers using them.

My server holds backups created for all my computers using WHS (Windows Home Server 2011) and ATI (Acronis True Image 2012). It also acts as a media server with a small collection of ripped DVD's and ISO's using HandBrake and BDlot DVD ISO Master and played through my wired network using a Western Digital TV Media Player in the living room. I also have digital camera images, videos and music on the server. 

My server also hosts tools used in computer repair such as WSUS Offline Update and others.

Build Notes

I was curious to see what the WEI (Windows Experience Index) was on this newly built Shuttle box. I installed Windows 7 and here's the system information and the WEI.

I started only using two drives with the OS on the first drive. I later found this unique item which converts a PCI expansion card slot into a removable 2.5" SATA hard drive accessible from the rear panel of a computer case. I now have three drives in the case with room for one more drive totaling 4.

StarTech S25SLOTR 2.5in SATA Removable Hard Drive Bay for PC Expansion Slot  StartTech  Newegg

I found Shuttle was regularly updating the BIOS. So I created a USB flash drive that works in DOS. Now I have a use for the old 512 MB USB flash drives.
How to make a bootable USB Flash to boot into DOS?
GoCoding

Then I found out you could use Acronis True Image Home 2012 on Windows Home Server 2011.

Can you install Acronis True Image Home 2012 on Windows Home Server 2011?

14879: Windows Home Server Support in Acronis Products

Acronis True Image Home 2012 Review

Backing Up the Server

Since WHS 2011 no longer has DE (Drive Extender) I had to devise another way to backup the WHS. I did not want to use a separate RAID controller card. I installed ATI onto the server. I backed up the WHS OS, which is on a separate laptop hard drive, over the network to another PC. It creates an approximate 10GB TIB (True Image Backup) file. I have successfully restored this file onto another laptop hard drive and replaced the drive in the WHS box. It worked fast and flawless. I am currently backing up the 2 TB data drive to an external USB drive using ATI. The second 2 TB drive is currently not being used. When I put the second 2 TB drive in use I will modify the data drive (s) backup.

Solid State Drive Modification

The guys over at BYOB and TheHomerServer Show have convinced me that replacing my notebook drive where the WHS OS resides with a  SSD (Solid State Drive) will give me a better experience on the Dashboard. I picked up the drive for $75 with NO TAX and FREE shipping. I used ATI to backup the OS hard drive with the 100MB partition. I then restored that to the OCZ 60GB SSD. I now have a screaming Windows Home Server!!!

Detailed Hardware Specs and Links

Shuttle SH67H3  US / Global

Shuttle SH67H3 - 360° Product Video  YouTube

Shuttle SH67H3 Barebones Mini PC Unboxing & First Look Linus Tech Tips  YouTube

Shuttle SH67H3 Intel Core i3, i5, i7 (LGA1155) Intel Socket H2 (LGA1155) Intel H67 Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000 integrated in the processor 1 x HDMI XPC Barebone  Amazon / Newegg

Intel Core i3-2120 Processor 3.3 GHz 3MB Cache Socket LGA1155 Amazon

Kingston Technology ValueRAM 4 GB Desktop Memory DDR3 1333 MHz (PC3 10600) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM KVR1333D3N9/4G x 2 8GB Amazon

OCZ Technology 60 GB Vertex 3 Series SATA 6.0 Gb/s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive VTX3-25SAT3-60G  Amazon

Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Black 64MB Cache SATA 6.0 Gb/s 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive - WD2002FAEX  Amazon

Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green 64MB Cache SATA 3.0 Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - WD20EARS  Amazon